Pre-plan your Funeral

Advance Directives are documents that allow you to convey your preferences ahead of time

Utah Living Will / Power of Attorney for Healthcare Form: This form comes with all the instructions. If your previous directive is pre 2009 or from another state you need to fill out this new one.

Funeral Planning Worksheet Please only use your preferences as a guide for your family (leaving the final decisions to them). If you think no arguments will ensue then just remember to share your plan with your next of kin.

A template letter to introduce your family to your after-deathcare preferences.

A template letter to introduce your family to your FCA membership and preferences.

Agent to Control Disposition Form If your next of kin don't agree or cannot carry out your funeral plans, do not worry, just assign an adult of your choice to control the disposition of your remains. Either sign in front of a notary (easily done for free at any bank) or follow Utah law for witness signatures (Utah code 75-2-502). Feel free to create an editable "duplicate" of the form we provide above which was based on 58-9-602)

U of U Body Donor Program You may bequeath your body to the University of Utah for science and education. Transportation costs are covered within 50 miles. You can even specify whether, following the required cremation, the ashes be returned to family or be buried in the Salt Lake City Cemetery. Every year a memorial service is held in May and survivors of donors receive written invitations to participate.

If you sign up BUT you've also stated on your Drivers License that you want to donate organs THEN eyes and skin are the only organs you can donate. Donation of other organs disqualifies the body for donation to the school.

Utah's Organ Donor Directive You can edit your specific organ donor preferences using your drivers license number. Example, one person wrote in their specifications: "I want my family or friends to be able to carry out my funeral and body transport without a funeral director. So only remove those organs and tissue that allow my body to be completely sutured and sealed by the organ recovery team."

Mortuaries often include on their price list a charge for organ donor repair BUT Intermountain Donor Services (IDS) is supposed to pay that fee. So do NOT let a mortuary charge you.

Religious and Scriptural views This is a 3 page pdf discussion of cremation vs whole body burial -We are glad to receive more religious views to help those seeking clarification between what is an influence of our culture upon religious people and what is an actual dictate of their religion.

One example of a Congregational Funeral Committee: https://www.jewishfuneralsdc.org/

To Pre-pay or NOT to Pre-pay, that is the question. If you decide to prepay in Utah you CAN change your mind. Utah State Licensure Rules read:

R156-9-616. Maximum Revocation Fee.

If a buyer revokes or defaults under a guaranteed preneed funeral arrangement contract, the funeral service establishment may retain a revocation fee from the trust corpus, not to exceed 25% of the amount received from the sale of the contract and trust earnings thereupon, provided the revocation fee is clearly identified in the contract.

BUT there's lots of ways to squirrel away money for a funeral: https://funerals.org/cantafford/

Intermountain West Connections:

Pre-planning a Home Funeral?

Fill out the Utah State living-will form (the form is under the last heading on page)
Fill out a Funeral Planning Form (see "plan ahead" page)
Figure the cost of cremation or burial and how to pay for it (savings or insurance policy).
Print the Step by Step guide at top right of this page and flow chart for quick-reference.
If you don't have next-of-kin that can carry out your plan, fill out an Assignment Form to appoint someone else to control the disposition of your remains.
If you want to provide a program for funeral attendees here is a template in Microsoft Publisher format. Insert your own pictures and as much information as you can ahead of time.
Compile and give copies to your next-of-kin and your chosen Dispositioner.
- Books
- Living Consciously, Dying Gracefully by Diane Manahan
- Final Rights
- New FCA Planning Workbook for sale (spiral bound or electronic version)

The inspirational movie Departures

helps re-examine

our own funeral CULTure:

"I'm young and healthy!

Why should I have a Living Will & Funeral Plan?"

Life is richer when you live like each day could be your last.

Others receive comfort knowing your wishes when you can't speak for yourself.

Doctors are more likely to make decisions that are best, instead of protocol.

Hospitals will be less able to bankrupt your family.

Family will be less likely to argue with each other.

If you ever want to approach someone to ask them to make their funeral plans (when they are sick, old, or dying) THEN you won't look like a jerk. ...unless you are on your last leg. Then it totally looks like you're just trying to take them down with you!